Electrics and magic
Amelia just looked at Muriel who sighed again and looked longingly at the cake in front of her, Amelia was just about to give her sister the cake, when Severus appeared with the rest of the family that had decided meet Amelia in Enfield after seeing the two children off on the Hogwarts Express that morning the group included David, Grandpa Brian, Mikes Old woman and of course the idolised Nanny Jean. They came an sat at one of the big tables towards the back of restaurant. With a smirk that would have rivalled Harry’s potion master in his original timeline, Dave asked what everybody wanted, the order for drinks and cakes was given and he turned to Muriel and sweetly asked “Anything else Muriel?” Muriel looked lovingly at the lemon tarts and was just about to ask him to buy one for her when she saw Severus face, the look of absolute terror and hurt that he had when her husband had suggested the treat made her forgo the longed for treat! Dave went to the counter with Jean to order the family’s requests.
Severus turned to Amelia and said with a solemnness that almost had her falling off the chair with laughter, but she managed to keep a very straight face because she sense that for Severus that what he was to ask was for him very important and not something that he would consider funny “Aunty Amelia WILL MAKE AN UNBREAKABLE VOW NOT TO GIVE MA THE WRONG FOODS, WON’T YOU!” Muriel just sighed and head hit the table in frustration and defeat.
Amelia replied to Severus question very solemnly “Of course Severus darling. But why do I need to make such a vow?”
Severus looked at his ma with such disgust and worry and continued “Because she cheats and eats the wrong food when I AM NOT THERE…..so Petunia told me about unbreakable vows and that once made you can’t break them ever……So I have asked all the family, Ma and Da friends and the local Tesco’s bakery lady to vow that they will not allow ma to have the wrong foods!” Amelia looked at Severus with amazement and wonder, the child in front of her may not be the most demonstrative child with physical love, but he showed he loved the people close to him in different ways and this was one of those ways. Severus then said with absolute pride in his voice “And they all made tee vow, so ma cannot get the wrong foods that way!” Severus then turned to his ma and said in a voice that was similar to a certain the old potions master voice in Harrys old time “See ma! You was wrong….AUNT AMELIA WILL MAKE THAT VOW” and Amelia found herself making the vow that Severus wanted in front of the family and with a wizard who had joined the family as the bonder. Tom Riddle and his finance came and sat with the Brown family, and when asked ensured that he cast seriously the unbreakable vow that Severus had got his aunt Amelia to agree to.
Severus had met Tom in uncles shop, after he had endured yet again the weekly torture sessions with the Mike the man who washed and trimmed his hair. It had been consensus of family after Severus spectacular meltdown over his hair cut in Blackpool, that the only way that they ensure Severus hair was kept neat, clean and tidy would be take him to a hairdresser weekly for them to maintain and wash Severus hair. One of the barbers who had worked for the family for at least twenty-five years had volunteered to wash and trim Severus hair at least weekly. The barber everybody admitted had a truly magical touch with even the most disruptive child that came into the shop. In fact in had been Mike who had cut all the family and shops children over the years. Conrad had tried to dissuade the man. After all Mike was a good friend as well as an employee and the with the meltdown that Severus apparently had in Blackpool, he was worried that Mike would be hurt when Severus physically fought him. But Mike had just waved Conrad’s concerns away.
The first week Nanny Jean appeared with Severus in tow just after Mike opened the shop at seven, Severus nearly bolted from the shop after all he remembered the torture of the barbers in Blackpool. All Mike did was sit down and start talking to Jean, and allowed Severus to play with the toys that Mike had accumulated over the years that were his children’s old discarded toys.
The next week Mike introduced himself to Severus and played with him, the third week found Severus talking and playing with the toys in Mikes chair.
The forth week Mike got Severus to agree for him to just try to wash Severus hair with the promise that if it hurt Severus, then he would stop. By this time the shop was full with the bikers from the biker shop next door, the mechanics from the tyre fitting garage the other side of the shop, and a representative from all the other shops and businesses in the Stevenage High street, including a member from the family funeral directors in the high street. They all wanted to see and know what the outcome would be, when Mike tried to wash Severus hair. Conrad with Jean had his fingers crossed that Mike knew what he was doing that morning, because if poor Mike got it wrong, Severus could draw blood with his meltdowns literally.
The shop door opened and a twenty five year old young women walked in. Mike greeted his daughter Pearl and introduced her to Severus. Pearl looked at her father and asked “So you want to wash my hair dad, so Severus will see that you won’t hurt him?” Mike agreed, and then his eldest child continued the rehearsed script they had agreed on “Only if you buy me and Severus a drink and cake from Costa across the road afterwards, without our resident audience there” Mike agreed, and his daughter sat down, and Mike spun his barber’s chair around with a theatrical flourish for Severus and his audience, his daughter whooped with glee as the chair spun round and round and an his daughter finally ended up facing the audience. Severus was entranced by the quickly spinning chair, and forgot about the audience in the shop, Severus wanted to spin in the chair like Mikes daughter as it looked cool as his brother and cousins would say! Mike then proceeded to wash his daughters hair as a ladies hairdresser would.
It had been Pearl who worked part time as a cashier for Tesco’s in Stevenage’s new town centre, who had realised what may cause Severus meltdowns regarding the washing and cutting of his hair, and the solution was simple! Barbers and most people leant over the sink, bath etc. to have their hair washed, the water and soap would run down their faces. She had reasoned that Severus may have learnt over time that if his face was touched it hurt badly, especially if his father had often used Severus head as a punching ball. So Severus would not want anything to come near his face, but if her father washed Severus hair as a women’s hairdresser would, with the back of his head over the sink and the water never coming into contact with his face, then Severus just may allow Mike to wash and trim his hair. The problem was how to show Severus that Mike would never allow water to come into direct contact with his face, and Pearl had volunteered to be the model for Severus demonstration.
Severus looked and studied intently how Mike washed Pearls hair, totally ignoring Conrad was relieved to see the rest of the audience. Then when Mike had washed and dried his daughter hair, Severus agreed to allow Mike to wash and dry his hair that morning. Since that week’s breakthrough. Severus had allowed Mike and only Mike to look after his hair, including keeping it neat and tidy. Then Severus found himself the owner of pair of very smart glasses, Mike had noticed that Severus seemed to have problems seeing things in the distance, and one of his customers had tested Severus eyes, and it was found that Severus was very short sighted. In a matter of weeks Severus had undergone a total transformation, he looked and acted like a different child. Conrad with the rest of the family had been so thankful, that Mike and his family had become part of his and Severus extended family.
In time Mike would come to be another brother, Mike’s family would join and become part of the extended family that encompassed Harry, Severus and their cousins. Mike would over time become almost as close a friend and confident to Conrad as his now departed father had been, with Mikes children becoming his adopted nephews and nieces.
Conrad had always respected and admired Mike, Mike had been the one who had ensured that the family business had survived and prospered when Conrad’s father had retired and died, in a very short period of time. Throughout his father’s illness Mike ensured that the shop was well run. He managed the other lads in the shop, had collected the lads chair rent and banked it for Conrad and had ensured that the few problems that seemed to plague the business at the time were quickly resolved with as little fuss as possible. Mike had never asked for, or would have excepted any payment from Conrad for looking and running the business during that stressful period.
The problem that Conrad and the rest of his siblings (acquired or otherwise had was that Mike and Sandra now consisted them as their unofficial family. To be fair Mike and now Sandra had a happy go lucky nature that transferred into parenting style as ‘everything will turn out alright in time’.
In fact their two youngest sons were still in awe and terror of the eldest sister by fifteen and twelve years respectively. Pearl had always helped her mum look after her brothers and her parenting style apparently took after her mothers, when Pearl had been a small child. Her two sons were approachable and loveable lads, but were always into trouble and some sort of mischief it seemed, and since meeting and befriending the rest of the family children. The mischief that Conrad’s nieces and nephews and Petunia found themselves in had grown. The family’s children was now split in to groups, with their own circle of friends. Lilly had been the exception, for some reason she had not tried to integrate herself into the family, hadn’t made any friends as “Her friends were all at Hogwarts, and why would I want to be friends with the Chav Scum” that the rest of her adopted family and sister had befriended. The older children including Harry, Petunia, Jordan, and now James Mikes eldest son hung out with Aunt Denise (Grumps Sandra sister) middle two sons Aiden and Baxter. It didn’t matter to the crowd that Baxter and Aiden family were poor and sometimes had to make do, that after all was life. Harry, James were in the Slytherin house and soon to be second years, there friendship was cemented when Harry found out that it had Been James and his friend James Johnston form Huffle Puff that had pinned Sirius Black against the Womping Tree one day, for terrorising Severus and other kids. To be fair though James was almost as tall and broad as Hagrid, and you had to be bloody stupid to even think of pranking or bullying in front of him. Lilly was of course in the Vulture house and Baxter and James friends sister Rita would be joining them as first years this year. This year as Severus would not be attending Hogwarts, Harry and Jaws (James nick name) would be bunking together.
Charles was the youngest child and, a non-magical, his intelligence was at Mensa level, he had over the summer holidays befriended Severus, and Severus was now a major element in Charles Star Trekkers gang. The gang included two youngest of Aunts Denise sons, Steve and Walter, also included was Sandra a black girl who was known as Uhura, because she could hear anything within a three mile radius and fought like a boy. Sandra was part of nice conservative evangelical Christian church that her parents were lay ministers for, a person only made the mistake once of insulting Sandra once, the last time a boy had wolf whistled at her in school. Sandra did no more strode up to him gave him her school bag and told him to carry it for her. The creep had replied “Why should I bitch, that is your job!”
Sandra had looked at him, sighed “You wolf whistled at me as if I am a well-trained dog, and then called me a bitch to my face…..that makes you Winston a DOG…..and as Charles sister states…why have a dog and bark yourself…so you have just talked yourself into being my well behaved dog…NOW CARRY DOG!” after that confrontation and to be fair the couple bloody noses others got for either bullying younger or weaker students, and for implied, actual and maybe insults everybody had learnt to respect Sandra at all times!
It hadn’t taken long for the rest of the families children and their friends to realize why Pearl was not to be crossed, and to become the woman that Sandra emulated and wanted to be. Her word was law, if she requested your help the children realised, you ask how high she wanted you jump for her. Her weak spot of course was Severus, Severus could do no wrong in her eyes, she never told him off and God help anybody Charles had stated if Severus was hurt by anybody!
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Flash back scene. Warning contains corporal punishment of a child!
Before the incident between Lilly and Severus on the eve of the kids going back to Hogwarts this year. Charles had one day rung Conrad begging him to come and separate his sister and Lilly. All Conrad could hear in the background was James trying with reason with someone. Conrad got the address from Charles and raced round to Mikes mothers.
When he got to the council run warden controlled complex, he saw Charles waiting for him, it quickly transpired that the children’s Nan had taken Severus Petunia and the families two dogs for a long walk with a neighbour “So Severus, didn’t witness Pearl killing Lilly” Charles informed him, with tears and worry lining his face! Conrad just stopped himself from rolling his eyes at Charles obvious dramatics.
He followed the lad into the bungalow and found Pearl disciplining Lilly in the old woman’s bed room. James was there trying it seemed to stop Pearl using the wooden meter ruler, hardened by their great nans oven on Lilly’s bare bottom.
Conrad just stood in the doorway opened mouth with Charles stating “She goes ballistic, and usually she only uses her hand to kill us, on our clothed bottom’s…..but this time she dragged Lilly into the bedroom with the ruler. The old woman quickly made a beeline for Old Mrs Love across the way, and she took Petunia and Severus away from the confrontation, after telling us to get you not gran dad or Gran!! Cause even gran dad would kill Lilly this time”
Conrad persuaded the two boys to catch their nan up and go for a nice long walk with her and the others. When the lads were dispatched Conrad asked the million dollar question, what on earth had Lilly done to deserve such a reaction from Pearl. And Peal furious told him the whole sordid story!
Severus had joined his friends and official family at Mikes council owned house, Lilly had tagged along belligerently behind Severus and Petunia that day. Lilly had tagged along with the children because she had just finished a two week restriction for her unruly behaviour and was now allowed out without very close adult supervision. For once Petunia and James had stayed with the youngers as they put it and not gone off to find and hang out with Harry and the older children.
Pearl had just come in from her part time cashiers job at the Tesco superstore in the centre of Stevenage’s New town. She was tired, cranky and had a migraine. Pearl knew that she was on as she put it a very short leash, so sent the kids to her nans for the afternoon, with Brock their Labrador. Pearl would normally have sent the kids back to nanny Jean and Brian, but they had managed to snag the last two seats on a day trip with the local Methodist keep the aged busy club to Southend upon Sea.
The boys knowing Pearls migraines and subsequent moods, had high tailed it, to the old woman’s as their great nan was called (to her face as well). Pearl had gone to asleep and woken up later in the afternoon, migraine gone and had on a whim decided it was such a nice day she would join the kids round at the old woman’s.
Pearl had slowly walked round to the old woman’s, stopping at the local fish and chip shop in the local parade of shops, and had gotten everybody a late lunch of fish and chips. She apparently walked into Lilly verbally laying and threating to hex the terrified old woman, who had with the other children managed to stop her from beating ‘Cracker Snivellous’ (lily’s words) for disrespecting and usurping her place as top dog in the family!”
Pearl had tried to defuse the situation and was just going to punish Lilly as she would have with the boys. Pearl was after mindful like the rest of the extended family of the girls circumstances after all. And still managed not to kill Lilly even when Lilly laid verbally into Pearl with “ You fucking no gooder minging ghetto bird, should keep your fucking big ugly honker out of Lilly’s, and her betters business" even after this tirade Pearl just managed to keep her cool and only just managed not to kill Lilly. It was when Pearl restrained herself and took Lilly into the old woman’s bedroom to quietly punish the girl after explaining that her behaviour was unacceptable, when Lilly had gone for her physically. Even then Pearl had showed remarkable restraint and had only started to verbally admonish Lilly. It was when Lilly response to Pearl was “Fuck off ghetto bird, there is no way I am taking orders from Chav Scum like you and your family….living off benefits and making hard working honest people pay for your lifestyle!” and then started to hex Pearl with some nasty painful spells.
That was when Pearl apparently lost it for good. Pearl had stalked to the small kitchen after breaking Lilly’s wand into pieces, to retrieve the hardened ruler to give Lilly the good hiding that she deserved but had never had, Pearl would “Ensure that for once in her life, Lilly would rue the day she pushed her luck and receive the punishment that she deserved but obviously never had for bullying and being a nasty little bitch!” If there was one thing that Pearl hated and detested she had “It was a child with an attitude and disrespect for others, and having a I am better than you attitude that Lilly had!” And no way was she going allow Lilly to physically and verbally bully and hurt others, especially who she thought as family. But she had this once as stated previously decided to be very lenient in Lilly’s punishment, because of the loss of her beloved parents. It was when Lilly had physically hit Pearl, then started using hexes she had learnt at Hogwarts that Pearl had lost it spectacularly she admitted to Conrad mortified and ashamed of her behaviour.
When Conrad had managed to access the situation he had walked into, and ensure that the rest of the children had were safely away from the situation. Pearl had admitted to Conrad that she was just going to discipline Pearl with a few swats to her clothed behind and talking to, and that would have been the end of the matter. But Lilly had just pushed all her buttons that day, and Conrad had thought that he personally admired the restraint Pearl had shown Lilly!
Conrad had just sat there stunned when he was told the story regarding Lilly, he was ashamed and furious with his adopted youngest daughter’s behaviour. How on earth could two children from the same parents have turned out so differently. Conrad had apologised for his daughters behaviour, and ensured that everybody else was alright including poor Severus and Mike’s mother. Before dragging his adopted daughter home to await Rosemary’s return home from work to hold a family’s council meeting to discuss Lilly’s behaviour and punishment.
Needless to say Lilly’s punishment was harsh, she had just come off being grounded for last little stunt of bullying and envious behaviour.
Rosemary had been furious when she had come home and found Lilly and Conrad waiting for her, Rosemary arranged for Petunia to stay with their sister Muriel’s family that night. After the discussion with Lilly regarding her out of control and bullying behaviour, Rosemary had asked if Lilly was prepared to knuckle down, work and lose her high mannered bullying attitude. Lilly had looked at Rosemary saw if she was dirt on her show and replied “Whatever!............I will do what I want, when I want….after all you are nothing but a lowly fat mundane ghetto bird..like the rest of the women Chav’s in this so called family” Lilly found herself having corporal punishment for the second time day, being disciplined with corporal punishment in her life. This time with a wooden clothes brush to her bare bottom and a two week restriction.
To Lilly’s further humiliation Lilly’s wand had been replaced with a second hand wand, brought from one of Mikes customers. Lilly had been spitting when she had been forced to choose her new wand. Conrad had been resigned to the fact that Lilly would have to be brought a new wand form Ollivander’s in Diagon alley. It was another expense that had to be met, a new Ollivander wand cost from £50.00 upwards, most wands costing at least £90.00 plus.
But Mikes customer, was the world’s top wand crafter, his family had been crafting wands since before Merlin’s time. Mike had popped round with the wizard one evening, and the wizard produced his box of second hand wands for Lilly to choose from. When Lilly had thrown a paddy worthy of Severus that night, the customer had rolled his eyes and explained to the assembled audience “So Garrick, is still spouting that crap about his wands are the best…..they are second rate at best, he uses only wood and cores that have infinity with only light magic…..I should know, its me that has been producing his substandard wands for years, to his precise specifications! Any witch or wizard can use most wands, but a well matched wand will allow them to enhance their magic…..a young witch or wizard really needs a good second hand wand to start learning magic with that is matched as closely to their magical cores as possible”
Lilly had called him a liar and shouted at him “How can a second hand wand ever possibly be a perfect match, after all a second hand wand has been well used, where as a new wand has never been used before! SO the wand has chosen at least one previous wizard or witch”
“Exactly!” stated the customer “A second hand wand has been broken in, its rough edges sanded down……Let’s see if a witch or wizard magical core has and infinity for Monkey Puzzle and Olive hard woods, with a dark core ingredients….a wand crafted with those ingredients will work well and perfectly with the witches or wizards magical core whether it is brand new or second hand….”
“But only Ollivander has the exclusive rights and permission to supply Hogwarts children wands” Petunia countered, entering into the argument, after all she had heard the spiel that the witch McGonn had given Lilly and her parents. “I mean that Lilly asked the question about second hand wands and if there was any other wand crafters even in Britain, because it was a lot of money to spend on a stick after all……and the witch sort of implied that only Ollivander had the exclusive rights to produce and supply the wands….and then..”
“At Ollivanders, he said quite vehemently that the wand only chooses a wizard or witch once, and the rest of the time a second hand wand will not work well for a witch or wizard….it was a lot of money the wand….it was the cost of our weekly food bill….but Ollivander and McGonagall insisted that it was a necessary expense” Lilly finished for Petunia, remembering how her first wand had cost.
The customer smiled and said “Let me guess..” he put his hand up to stop the girls “It took you a long time to find a wand…..and the wand cost at least 70 galleons which equated to roughly £200” Lilly and Petunia nodded, the customer smiled and continued “All theatrics....Garrick is a big scam artist, and his old man was worse. Until Dumbledore made it unofficial policy that children had to buy their wands from him, there was vibrant free market in wand producing and selling…then suddenly it became almost a one family monopoly in Britain, the rest of the world never has never tried to restrict the wand crafting industry as Dumbledore and his Wizengamot has” The wizard took a cup of tea from Rosemary sipped a drink and continued with his story “But there has never been any rules or regulations regarding what wands are permitted at Hogwarts….look if anybody says something, ask the old frauds McGonagall and Dumbledore where they obtained their first wands, mind I said first wands….the answer McGonagall had to make do with a forth hand wand from my old master Schreiber; and Dumbledore’s wand was his father’s after his father was kissed for murdering twenty muggle boys!” the family looked shocked.
The wizard continued “A witch or wizard normally only has a custom made wand when he becomes a master of a discipline, and that’s because they like to show off to each other! The only exception is a Cracker, who has a potions master has to have a customised made wand for them to use. A potions master wand will be needed to be moulded their strengths and weaknesses, as well as being able to be used safely in the potions lab….there is a reason why wands and magic are not permitted in the potions class, in fact potions is a very new discipline that has been added to the magical curriculum, and only because most of the renown Crackers have left the magical society for good with the other outcasts of magical society” the family and Lilly included looked intrigued as the wizard continued “Magic used in a potions lab by normal wizards is unpredictable, for children just beginning to learn magic it is very dangerous indeed. Magic is very unstable in its pure form…” the wizard looked at the incomprehensible faces of people in the room, he sighed and continued “Vitutedei is what Magic is called in its wildest form. Vitutedei is like lightening, powerful, uncontrollable and dangerous when living beings interact with it in its natural state” everybody nodded, the wizard smiled and continued “But people have learnt how to produce, control and use lightening relatively safely, we call it electricity….but electricity can be dangerous if it is not respected by people, after all to ensure our safety we have experts called electricians that help maintain and work with electricity. Magic is like electricity, it is safe when used properly and safely” The wizard looked up and saw that the family before him was entranced with his explanation and story. He took a breath and continued
“ Before the mundane and magical societies separated Witches and wizards were considered the electricians of their day, they understood and worked with magic. Allowing all of society to benefit magic and its uses. Hogwarts was founded supposedly by four good humanitarians to ensure that the mundanes that had natural infinity with magic could be taught safety about their subject” The family including Conrad and Rosemary nodded, after all this was the spiel that the professors who came to the mundane families used to entice the mundane children to Hogwarts.
“The four founders were just business people who were employed by the powerful elite to create a school that enslaved the mundane children with very substantial magical cores. Once isolated and trained these young adults could only work for the most wealthy and powerful rulers, lords whatever…..” The wizard looked at the disbelief on the families faces and continued with his explanation with a question “How much do you think it cost to privately educate a child Conrad”
Conrad coughed and said “From £30,000 upwards and that does not include the extra on top of that”
“How long has there been any form of free state funded education in Britain”
“Free education must have started in the Victorian era” Rosemary answered, just guessing at the answer. The wizard smiled and said “It was around about that time, so before then poor mundane children had very limited access to good education, except for mundane children with the magical gift…..their education was free, because the founders ensued that there would be enough money for at least 1000 years to support and pay for all the mundane children attending the school!” Now the wizard started to tap a finger as he made his next point to his audience “It cost £30,000 to send a child per year to a bog standard public school, so to send a child just for its secondary education it will cost at least a quarter of million pounds…..so for the last 1000 years around 100 children a year at the cost of at least a quarter million of pounds each, but I know as every magical connected person that the Hogwarts fees are a lot less than that” He raised his hand to stop the questions he knew the family now had and continued “The pure blood families would never be able to afford to send one let alone two or three children to Hogwarts those fees! Rich pure blood families that send their children to Hogwarts believe they are rich and they are compared to other magical families. But most pure blood families are what mundanes call land rich, but cash poor…”
“Meaning that the land they own worth a lot of money, but they have little actual cash they can use” Conrad helpfully added to the conversation
“Exactly! And spending at least a quarter of a million pounds upwards on a child’s education will deplete the cash reserves rapidly, because there will be no money returned to the family’s money reserves after the child graduates from Hogwarts!..................It is the families of the Aurors and healers, masters of subjects etc that fund their career…..In magical society it is established that healers and aurors are only paid a very nominal salary, and only after a ten year apprenticeship which their families have to fund. But to hold any real position or power in society you have to been a healer, auror, professor, master”
“And those positions or careers are only open to the people who can afford to study and work for free effectively” Lilly commented, suddenly beginning to perhaps understand that the magical world was not as all-encompassing and great as the mundane society.
“Exactly….so to overcome the little problem of poverty, it is well known that none of the pure blood families pay for the education of their children. After all the future rulers of your society Lilly need to be educated however badly”
“But doesn’t the wizarding parliament control the magical ministry and society?” queried Petunia
“Yes and No!” replied the wizard “The Wizengamot nominally is in control of the society, and it has to pass any laws. They are also the judge, jury and punishers of the courts”
“But! That is giving too much power to a few people!” interrupted Rosemary “How can a man have a free trail. When he is being judged, jury and punishers…….nobody can be all three and still ensure a person receives a fair trial”
“Ah! You see there are very few trails that the Wizengamot oversee. Many suspects never make it to trail they are either sentenced to Azkaban or kissed” the wizard answered Rosemary
“B….ut that is outrageous…everybody has the right to a trail!” wailed Lilly indignantly “It’s one of the basic tenants of a fair and legal justice system!”
“Really! Lilly you are thinking like a mundane who has always lived in a western based democratic system…..where an individual and their rights are viewed as being more important in some instances than the sovereign nation that they are a part of……..Magical society views the rights and cohesion of its society as above and more important than an individual’s……if a few or maybe a lot of injustices are made…it’s no big problem, after all if the message to the societies individuals confirms that they are not important, then they will keep in line”
“So what happens to most people who accused or caught committing crimes?” Petunia asked perplexed
“Very often there is a quick potion or light hex in the cell and the individual is dead…..or if it is an important individual or a prominent magical family member…then they are sent to Azkaban or even kissed after their case has been reviewed by the chief warlock, head of DMLE and the minister of magic!”
“So if the Wizengamot is the nominal leaders of the magical society….who really controls it?” asks Petunia, who was secretly beginning to be happy that she wasn’t a magical, who would be under the control of a despotic regime when she had finished her education.
“At present the ministers of the ministry of magic, with the magical equivalent having the same status as the president of the USA……but over a number of years the calibre of the ministers and employees working at the ministry of magic has declined. It is well known on the streets of the magical society that Dumbledore has the real power behind the scenes….he is after all the Chief warlock of Britain and the internal federation of wizards…..and has ensured that only weak willed people afraid of him are in any position of power or influence. It also helps that his is the headmaster of the only British magical society school”
“So if the pure blood children attend Hogwarts for free….then that means every magical child will attend Hogwarts for free then…after all it would only be fair….”
“Forget fairness Rosemary is it?” The wizard interrupted Rosemary musings, she nodded and he continued “The only children in the magical society that are educated free are influential families. Pure blood families, every other child has to pay for their education! Which means that three quarters or more of magical children are not given any formal education”
Conrad coughed and tried to get back to the discussion they were having, by recapping for the wizard and his family “So pure blood and influential magical children attend Hogwarts for free..”
“Also mundane children are attended Hogwarts free….”Rosemary commented
“Which means that the founders had to have somehow set aside at least £3000,000,000 pounds just for the teaching costs alone, and that does not include the costs of maintaince etc. that would have been needed over the years” whispered Conrad
“Exactly! So either the founders were a lot richer than the Catholic church or the monarchs of their countries…..or they were assisted by the church and the powerful to establish Hogwarts and pay for the costs of teaching the children attending the school”
“But why would anybody spend an enormous amount of money to educate a very small number of children” asked Petunia perplexed
The wizard laughed “. Because only a small number of mundanes had an infinity with magic, and could wield it safely for the good of society. Hogwarts was established to train the mundanes that had this infinity. A problem for the four Hogwarts founders and the rulers of society at that time was this infinity of magic could and cannot be predicted. The infinity crossed all borders, a paupers son could be a powerful mage, a powerful mages son could be a squib. For the common man as he was called then, this didn’t really impact on their or their families lives. Mundanes can after all live quite happily with or without magic. But the powerful mages and the ruling class needed and wanted the exclusive use and power of magic, but they couldn’t limit the education of magic control and power to their families or peers, or even the established powerful mages like Merlin etc. The affinity to control magic was only present in a small part of the population and from all parts of it……So our rulers were clever, very clever….they controlled the use of magic and its wielders by insuring that the poor and illiterate mundanes became sacred of magic and saw the wielders of magic as evil. Ensuring that the people who had an infinity with magic were ostracised at best and worse persecuted and killed, using the newly established Abrahamic religions to push this idea”
“But you cannot just blame Christianity for persecution of wizards and witches!” Lilly called out to the wizard.
“I am afraid I can and do! To establish converts and control over the population, the catholic church persecuted every person, religion and idea that opposed its absolute control over society. The Catholic Church based in Rome and descended from the roman empire for centuries ruled with absolute power most of Europe! Its leader the Pope was the most important person, he had control and authority over kings, emperors….Popes launched wars, deposed kings and emperors, it was only with the start of the dissolution of the church in England by Henry eighth that the Catholic Church started to lose some of its power. But the church even with evolving of the Anglican based religions was and is still very powerful in the world today…..but as I was saying anybody different from the norm was ostracised from their communities, hedge witches and wizards were hounded out of their communities and their healing and teaching roles etc were taken over by the monasteries”
The wizard slowly drank and finished his cup of tea, while the family waited entranced for the man to finish his story. After a pause he continued “With the death of hedge witches and wizards for the greater good of cause. The powerful and elite could enslave the magical children, they took them from their families and communities and gave them to the Hogwarts founders to teach the children how to control their magic. When the children had mastered magical power they could not return to their communities, they had lost all contact with their families and the communities after all. So they were then ‘looked after’ by the powerful elite and mages, the one discipline in which the Hogwarts founders couldn’t teach magical children was the art of potions. Potions masters were respected by their mundane communities and formally called Crackers. It was a very respectful term that mundanes used towards the potion masters, as wand crafter masters were once called Goldeners by mundanes. Crackers and Goldeners lived and worked normally within the mundane communities exclusively, and supplied for them the healing and other potions that were required, and crafted wands and other tools for the magical and mundane society. It took a long apprenticeship for a potion student to become a qualified Cracker or Goldener. Because Crackers and Goldeners usually have a very small magical core, they could safely live in the mundane community and thrive there, in fact Crackers and Goldeners were the first physists, chemists and even scientists of mundane society. Mages and powerful magical have always been scared, envious of Crackers and us Goldeners.
The Hogwarts founders really hated Crackers and Goldeners, oh Salazar has always been seen as powerful potion master, he was crap with potions like most magicals. Salazar like other magicals cannot control there magical core around potions brewing process. His powerful core allowed magic to interfere with the potions process and ingrediants. The potion he supposedly produced and developed were simple potions that a first year Cracker apprentice could brew in their sleep. Another reason why Crackers and Goldeners were not respected was the same reason they very often became their mundane communities elders. For them to use and mould magic they had to study and understand the theory regarding magic and its properties! Most magicals naturally feel magic and learn to use this feeling to accomplish what they want or need, which is why children have bouts of accidental magic growing up. A normal magical child can only start to learn to control their magic at around eleven, because their core is then large enough for the child to feel and use it. A magical child doesn’t really need a formal magical education, for most children it would be better to be taught with their mundane peers and then have extra magical lessons. But because of the education system and subsequent society set up by our ancestors, it is still very normal for very powerful children to be separated and educated in isolation. A magical child leaving a magical educational establishment will be academically behind their mundane peers, that they find it very difficult to reside in the mundane world….which is what the founders, church and the rulers wanted after all”
“But….but…..all magical children have to attend Hogwarts school, if not they…..” Petunia interrupted the wizard, the man just laughed and responded with “Do you really think that there is only what a 50 to let’s say tops 200 magical children born each year in the whole of Britain! Or perhaps the powerful mages like Dumbledore may want to keep control and have unlimited power of a very small and elite group of individuals!” Lilly sat there opened mouthed, stunned by what the elderly wizard was saying and suggesting.
“But why?” asked a dumfounded Lilly
“Because as Lord Acton stated ‘Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost bad men’ or Great powerful men get addicted to wielding power absolutely, and it is easier to wield absolute power over a relatively small group of people, that have been kept isolated from the wider society Lilly”
Rosemary added “Normally isolated groups are either ethnic, racial or religious in origin and have cut themselves from the normal mundane society”
“But magical society is split into two fractions that hate each other” Lilly informs people
“Really!” The wizard says “Or perhaps somebody has decided to artificially divide the magical society…..by raising tensions between the mundane new comers..... and the established pure blood families”
“But Dumbledore wants magical society to integrate all aspects and citizens, from the pure bloods families to the mundanes” Lilly stated
“Really! Because you are told and taught about the traditions and customs of the society you will live in….or perhaps Dumbledore has suggested that traditional followers must follow the new citizens of their society…and neither side the traditionalists or the mundane raised are ever properly educated about their social norms and traditions, including the religious festivals of both sides”
“But surely a society should just respect other people and allow them to follow their own ways!” Petunia commented confused. After all Britain was a multi culture society, and respected all different members of its society. That is what having civil and human rights were for.
“Really! So it is acceptable for a woman to walk down the pavement topless in Britain? After all it is the norm for people to be naked in some remote African tribes” the wizard asked
Mike now spoke “No! because it is not seen as polite or correct behaviour in Britain…..it would be the same as a British women not respecting the dress code when visiting another country”
“Exactly my point……Muslim’s including both sexes must dress modesty, that is why Muslim women sometimes feel it is appropriate to wear the Hijabs, whilst other women feel comfortable in just wearing western clothing that covers them appropriately……In traditional society, both sexes are expected to dress modesty as well, but there are more stringent standards for both sexes…..children to a certain extent are exempt from the dress code…”
“But they still dress modesty” Lilly interrupted “You never see a pure blood magical child wearing short skirts or trousers….most girls at least wear head coverings”
“Exactly!” replied the wizard “and when a traditional raised witch bonds or marries with a wizard, then they will shave their head so that the head covering they are expected to wear are more comfortable”
“But that this barbaric!” exclaimed both Lilly and Petunia together, both the girls could never envision shaving all their hair.
“It’s not that unreasonable girls….most well raised women until quite recently shaved their heads, it made wearing their hairpieces or ornate hoods, that were very heavy etc” both girls shuddered at the thought of having to wear such contraptions on their heads. “There are of course other big and small behaviours and manners that mundane raised children either ignore or do that insults their traditional magical peers…..and this way leads to both sides not trusting each other, or even finding common ground in some instances” The wizard looked particularly at Lilly, hoping that the girl may be intelligent or curious enough about what they had discussed tonight, and to try and research the topics they had discussed.
The Wizard continued “Of course Dumbledore has not only perhaps accidentally ensured that the mundane and magical raised groups inherently distrust each other he has through his reforms and laws passed ensured that groups of magical citizens have had not only had their citizenship revoked but have been deemed dangerous creatures or beasts that either need to be tightly controlled or killed for the greater good of cause!”
“Pearl would insist that Dumbledore had taken advice from Hitler and his Nazi’s…according to her the Nazi’s were able to carry out their astrotessies because they marginalised certain groups in society and then ruled the rest of their third Reich empire with a iron fist!” Mike commented when the wizard had explained Dumbledore actions in the Wizengamot.
“But what has happened to the people who either oppose Dumbledore, or who he has deemed dangerous?” asked Petunia
“They have like us Crackers, Goldeners and Claudians departed the magical society and established themselves in mundane society. There are of course people who are trying to change society and help individuals trapped under Dumbledore’s minions but it is dangerous and most individuals and their families never return to the magical society once they have left of forced to leave by Dumbledore’s laws and restrictions!.....Now lets get you a new wand Lilly” the wizard stated
“So you make a good living crafting wands then?” Conrad asked conversationally to the wizard
“No its peanuts really…..Didn’t Mike tell you, I now make the coffins for the local undertakers when requested as I love working with wood, but I was very successful stock broker for a major British Bank!” and with that Lilly obtained her new wand, her old wand had been a 10 an quarter inch squishy willow wood. Her new wand was a 7 and a half monkey puzzle and olive inflexible wand. But to Lilly’s surprise the wand felt and performed better than her previous wand
“Of course another reason most magical people have new wands crafter for them selves, is that the trace will never have been placed on the wand” the wizard commented when Conrad paid him the £10 that he asked for
“But the ministry removes the trace on a witches or wizards seventeenth birthday” Lilly said
“Oh! Do they….perhaps my knowledge is outdated and they have a new trace spell that can be removed now from people or their belongings, the trace couldn’t be removed before…oh well you learn something new every day!” and with that the wizard departed the cottage. Leaving with Lilly a contact name and place, just in case she needed another new wand. Written on the back of the card was the following information
Lilly
FYI only, a trace cannot be placed on this wand and you can use either a fountain pen or even good quality ball point pens to write with.
Remember I supply the fraud Garrick with his wands, and your wand was crafted by me, and that there is no rule regarding only having to use or buy Garrick’s wands
Stay safe always
A Friend
End of flashback
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Severus and Pearl had met the wizard Tom Riddle one morning after his weekly torture sessions as he referred to them, although the sweets and treats he obtained did mollify him somewhat, and Mike never allowed anything to touch his face, which Severus knew hurt!
Tom had met Pearl, and to Toms amazement they had started courting. When one day Tom had been totally honest with Pearl about his ambitions, she had vowed to assist and help him. Even going as far to promise her help if they ever broke up!
Tom had been amazed by the understanding, patience and acceptance that was shown to the wizarding child Severus by the mundane extended family that had adopted him. He had readily agreed to being the caster and bonder of the worthless unbreakable vow that Severus was ensuring all the mundanes were taking.
Conrad still had the nagging feeling that Mike had somehow engineered the meeting between his beloved eldest daughter and child and future son in law.
Conrad still remembered his first phone conversation between him and Pearl. Conrad had answered the shops phone to hear Mikes wife voice on the phone, now he had by this time met Mikes wife Sandra a few times so he greeted her “Hi Sandra, do you want to talk to Roundie”
“Yes I would like to speak to roundie, but I am not Sandra his wife”
“Who are you then?” Conrad asked perplexed
“The most important person in roundie’s life”
“So you are Sandra his wife”
“No”
“The old woman his mother”
“No! I am not a eighty year old woman thank you very much”
“His sister Barbara”
“Nope, that would be an impossibility considering she has been dead since 1953 aged 15, and last time I looked this morning I wasn’t a ghost!”
“His aunt”
“Dead”
“His mistress”
“Sandra would kill him, slowly and very painfully as you know very well, if thought about having a mistress!” Conrad silently agreed and shuddered at the thought of Mike’s wife being that angry and vengeful. Sandra was a lovely women, but she was a not a woman to cross thank you very much
“Who the hell are you”
“language, I’ll put you on to Sandra” there was a shout and Sandra came onto the phone and Conrad started the conversation all over again, and what was so annoying was that Mike, Sandra and the everybody in the shop was laughing at his frustrating phone conversation. Sandra in the end relented and told Conrad that he had been speaking to their eldest of three, their daughter called Pearl and definitely the most important person in Mikes life
Conrad was astounded and commented “But that is not right, you are his wife and Pearl is just his daughter….nothing should be more important to Mike than you” and Sandra had uttered the wise words “Conrad! When I gave birth to our daughter Pearl she became with my blessing and understanding he most important female and person in his life. I am number seven on his most important person in his life, the old woman his mother is number eight. And we have never minded, the order of the list in descending order is Pearl, James, Charles, Brock the lab, Fangs the oldest cat, misty the youngest cat! Me and then the old woman. And that is how it should be and Conrad, Mike understands that he is number seven on my list, you have children and your broke, tired and always trying to keep discipline and order, but the children become the your most prized and loved treasure you will ever have”
So that morning Tom and Pearl had accompanied the families to Kings cross to see the five children off on the Hogwarts Express. They had decided to join the small group at Enfield Costa, to update Amelia on what had happened. Also Tom had yet again agreed to be the bonder of the unbreakable vow that between Severus and Amelia it was needed.
Tom thought ‘that if looks could cast the unforgivable AVA KADA, then Muriel’s husband David would be dead’ the look that Muriel gave her bonded, when he brought back a fruit platter as a treat for her was priceless. Especially since everybody was contently munching into cakes and other sugary treats.
The conversation soon focused on what the wand crafter had said when he had sold Lilly her second wand. While the women in the family vocalised their worries regarding the children being in the vicinity and control of the dictator Dumbledore.
Pearl leant towards Tom and said “I think I may have worked out how you can oust Dumbledore from power buy legal and nonviolent means….but the plan is very long term, it could take more than twenty years to oust Dumblebore from his position” Tom whispered back, can we discuss what you have found out later in private” and Pearl agreed to do so.